Like Stars
by duaedenateist
Summary: Since they were 7, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak were the one for each other, sometimes they just didn't see it.
1. Chapter 1

I just listened to Lucia - Hide (Like Stars) and I just had to write this. I also wanted to write a fic about a picture, it's in my profile with the polyvore link.

* * *

Happiness is gonna get you  
Like the strong taste of the day I met you  
'Cause happiness is gonna get you  
This time

Hide with me,  
Decide with me,  
Defy the odds,  
And be the one.

o0o

**1997**

They weren't exactly neighbors, there was a barley field between their houses, and it was connected to the woods, where Oliver's tree house was. Thea and Tommy would always stay at home in the hot days but Oliver wasn't one to listen to his mother, or in this case Raisa so he was always out on the field, running around and tripping over things to fall on his face.

That's how Felicity had found him. Barley field was her haven. She would run away from her mom and spend the day in there doing nothing in particular. She would listen to the rustles of the barley plants in the wind, feel the sun on her face wearing her colorful dresses and flats with bows on them.

One particularly hot day, she heard the shouting of a boy. Then a growl, and a thud. She turned to the sound and saw a pair of feet on the air, the boy kept shouting in anger and Felicity ran towards him. He must have fell head first and the plants kept him from completely falling, keeping his feet in the air. She giggled and helped him up.

"Hi," The boy beamed at her.

"Hi," She answered shyly. She wasn't good with new kids, they always made fun of her glasses.

"What your name?" He asked her, grinning and trying to meet her gaze since she kept looking around.

"Felicity," She said, she hoped he wouldn't make fun of her name.

"Wow, that's a different name. My name's Oliver," He extended his hand, "Nice to meet you, Felicity."

She took his hand, it was warm and soft and he shook her hand, gripping it gently but tightly. Felicity blushed, "You, too. So, uhh,"

"How old are you?" Oliver asked quickly, letting go of her hand but grabbing the other one and walking around in the field, dragging her behind him.

"7."

He turned to her sharply with a grin, "I'm 7 too!"

Felicity giggled at his excitement and Oliver felt his cheeks burn. They walked around a bit in silence, still holding hands despite the hot weather.

"Do you wanna see my tree house?" Oliver asked abruptly.

"I don't know.." Felicity trailed.

"Oh, it's okay. Raisa tells me to not go with strangers too, I understand." He said nodding.

"I can go, I think." Felicity replied, shy again.

"Really? You're gonna love it. I have chips and soda and chocolate and tetris!" He said almost jumping in the air.

"You have tetris?" Felicity asked in awe.

Oliver nodded and Felicity grinned at him again, he tugged on her hand and they ran to the tree house, going over the bridge in the blazing hot. Oliver motioned her to the ladder and she started to climb, Oliver looked up to see her dress briefly and kept his head down to not see what's under accidentally.

They spent the day eating, chatting and playing tetris. Felicity glanced at her watch, "It's 6 already, I have to go."

Her face fell just as his did, "Yeah me too. But you'll come tomorrow right?"

"If you want me to?"

Oliver nodded and she did too, standing up and going to the ladder to leave. She waited as he climbed down and they looked at each other awkwardly before Oliver leaned down and kissed her cheek. Then he ran away and Felicity stared at him until he disappeared from her view. She ran home too, her hand resting on her cheek.

When Oliver reached home, the first thing he did was to go to Raisa, "Hey, hey, Raisa."

"Yes dear?"

"I need cupcakes and snacks and things tomorrow."

"Why?"

"I met someone."

"Who?" She asked alarmed.

"A girl, her name is Felicity and she's really pretty."

Raisa laughed, "Well tell me about her and I'll make you chocolate cupcakes."

"Okay," Oliver sat on the counter while Raisa cooked next to her, "She has big blue eyes and light brown hair. She wears glasses and pink dress and shoes with bows on them. Oh and she's afraid of kangaroos and needles and.. Raisa!" He shouted abruptly.

"What happened?" She turned to him, confused.

"She's allergic to peanuts so no nuts in the cupcakes."

Raisa smiled at him, "Okay. So, how did you meet?"

Oliver looked at his hands on his lap, "I fell," Raisa chuckled, "Then she came, helped me up and then I asked questions and after a while I her took to my tree house. She rocks in tetris, Raisa. And she babbles, I don't understand the half of it but I like it." He finished with a grin.

"That's it?"

"I kissed her cheek." He said, grin still in place but face red as a tomato. Raisa burst out laughing at his expression and planted a kiss on top of his head.

The next day, they ate and talked some more. At one point, they were leaving the house in the morning, almost without breakfast and going back home for dinner. He taught her how to ride a bike, one hand on the seat one on the handle, he helped her gain balance and he let his hand fall from the seat, even though he never told her.

Thea and Tommy listened to his stories about her, about what she said and how she said it while he was telling them to Raisa and they insisted on meeting her. Thea was 2 years younger than her brother and she liked Felicity instantly because of her dresses and bows and wavy hair. Tommy embraced her on the first day and that's how the four came together on a hot summer day on the field.

Sometimes they would forget Tommy and Thea's presence and they would only see each other. Tommy would always smirk while Thea would bury her face in Tommy's neck in embarrassment.

When the summer ended and Felicity said she would be leaving the next day, Oliver thought of asking her where she was from. "Central City," She said and Oliver's eyes expanded.

"I live in Starling. I can still see you!" He jumped to her and hugged her tightly. He pulled back a few minutes later, not letting go completely.

"How do I find you?"

"Felicity Smoak, Central City Elementary School, if you want to find me ask the cafe across the school. They know me."

Oliver nodded and hugged her again. It was one week from school starting and he was hell bent on seeing her.

o0o

Queens returned to Starling a few days after Felicity left and in the next day, Oliver was already showered, his hair brushed and his backpack was at the side of the door, "Dad, I'm going to Central City."

Robert Queen turned to him in confusion, "The fair is in 10 days, Oliver."

"Yeah, but he met a girl in there." Thea supplied.

Robert looked surprised, "You did? How?"

"Summer house."

"What's she like?"

"Ask Raisa dad, am I going or not going?"

Robert chuckled, "Fine, you can go. But you'll take Sammy with you. And you won't disappear from his sight or you can never go again."

"Alright." Oliver shrugged and got up from his chair.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm done, I'm gonna brush my teeth, then I get to see Felicity." He said grinning, he went upstairs to his bathroom running all the way.

Sammy opened the door for him, "Where to Mr. Queen?" He asked amused.

But Oliver was dead serious, "Central City Elementary School and let's a make a deal, I won't disappear on you but you'll keep what you see to yourself."

"Deal." Sammy answered mimicking his seriousness but still amused inside.

2 hours later they were parked in front of the school and Oliver got out off the car, going to Sammy and taking his hand, he shot him a confused look but Oliver answered in ease, "We're going across the street."

Sammy nodded and they walked, he was still in after shock of his behavior, was this even Oliver Queen? Oliver let go of his hand and opened the door to the cafe, he was just a tad bit taller than the handle. He walked straight to the cashier and cleared his throat.

Woman smiled at him, "You order to there, dear." She pointed the other worker in the cafe.

"I'm not ordering."

Woman raised her brows so he continued, "I'm looking for Felicity Smoak."

Cashier shot him an amused look and pointed to one of the booths, "She's right over there."

Oliver ran towards the booth and looked at the people sitting on it. There was one more girl with Felicity and two boys, one of them holding Felicity's hand the way he had. He glared daggers at him instantly, "Felicity?"

She was laughing and she turned to the voice, her mouth dropped as she saw him, "Oliver!"

She jumped up from the booth, freeing her hand from the guys grip and leaping into his arms. Oliver turned to her, holding her waist in his hands and lifting her up slightly. he turned around, making her giggle as her feet dangled in air and she held on to him tighter.

She had to ditch her friends and they gave her hell right in front of Oliver which ended with him growling and grabbing her hand to drag her behind him.

They spent the day playing in her schools playground and chatting, Oliver gave her his tetris, she kissed his cheek and they exchanged addresses to send letters.

o0o

After that, Oliver saw her only at the fair. They had fun but Felicity told him that he couldn't come to the Central City, that she was studying and he needed to do the same but they could still send letters and call each other from their parents' phone. Felicity insisted that she would be the one calling, Oliver didn't understand but he agreed.

She called her weekly after that, every friday at 4 pm, his mother would hand him the phone around quarter to 4 and he would lock himself in his room, they would talk for almost an hour before Felicity abruptly cut off the conversation and ended the call.

She never talked about her parents, a little bit of her friends more about the computer at the school she sneaked in to play with. She said she disassembled and put it together one weekend, Oliver listened carefully to her rants about teachers and classes and computers and she did the same for him, but not so much since Oliver loved hearing her talk and never interrupted it when she did.

He talked about himself in the letters, ask her for guidance in classes and she would literally explain it to him in 10 page letters and they would always come more handy than his textbooks when the exam time came.

They never saw each other until it was march and one saturday, Felicity was there. She knocked on the door, Raisa answered and invited her inside, thinking she was one of Oliver's friends in Starling. She called his name to come downstairs and he came with huffs and puffs, he was busy writing to Felicity and he didn't want to talk to anyone.

He saw her when he had two steps left in the stairs and he jumped to her. He caught her and wrapped his arms around her, shouting "Felicity!" over and over again.

"How did you come here?"

"I sorta ran away. But I'm going back."

Raisa interfered, "Won't your parents worry?"

Oliver shot daggers to Raisa, he knew one thing about her parents and it was that they didn't give a shit about Felicity and the coffee shop lady was the one taking care of her most of the time.

"No, my mom works all day and comes home at midnight and my dad is uh, I don't know where he is."

"I'll give you a tour of the mansion." He said pulling her to his side and dragging her across the hall. She looked around in awe while Oliver looked to Raisa and glared to her again.

Felicity came running to him for 8 years, even though he was there every weekend after that.

o0o

**2004**

Oliver spent his summer break in the summer house. Even though Thea and Tommy were practically touring the world together, he always went back to Felicity. This year not exactly back to her considering they went there together. But no matter what happened, they were in the summer house at least for 2 months. They rolled around in the barley field, stayed the night in his tree house and shared the bed. But that's what they did over the years, they were physically in each others space all the time and it never felt weird. Puberty or not they would always fall asleep together.

Oliver was sick of seeing her for only a few months freely over the years, then a miracle happened before the high school. They were sitting in the barley field, buried in plants and facing each other. Oliver was sitting with folded knees while Felicity's feet were draped on his lap and she was leaning back with her palms pressed to the ground. She was wearing denim shorts and a simple loose tank top, bracelets he gifted her were on her both arms, 6 of them. Five of them together in colors of the rainbow and one baby blue on her other wrist. Her fingers were filled with rings and she was wearing converses as ever since they came out. Her trade mark pink lipstick present.

"I have news."

"Spill." Oliver prayed to not hear about his boyfriend. She was dating with someone, the guy that was holding her hand when he first visited Central City and he hated the guy. He was smart, he was good looking and treated Felicity good. But not good enough in his eyes. So he hated him.

"You know how you will go to a private school this year?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be hell, and they paid a shit load of money so it's gonna be even worse. You're gonna have to give me classes on the phone."

"Well, I think I'm gonna give them to you in person since I just won a scholar ship."

"You're kidding!" He screamed.

She shook her head giggling and grinning. He pulled her feet towards him, dragging her to himself and launching to her for a hug, she landed on her back with Oliver on top of her. They stayed like that a while, she wrapped her legs around him and they laughed, they laughed for minutes while Oliver kept peppering kisses on her neck and cheeks. Then he flipped them and sat up, she was on his lap trying to put her hair in a pony tail with the hair tie on her wrist. Oliver brushed the strand of hair on her face, helping her.

"Aunt Lena agreed to go as the adult for your application?" Aunt Lena was the coffee shop lady Oliver had met years ago and loved dearly but she wasn't too big on Felicity leaving Central City.

"I went with your dad." Oliver snorted. Shocker.

"What does your mom say?"

"Aunt Lena said she talked to her, I think she'll adopt me."

"Is that possible?"

"I don't know, she didn't tell me I heard her talking to the lawyer that comes in the shop, we'll see."

"So, where will you stay?"

"Aunt Lena says I can live in the dorms but she's willing to let me live with you after meeting your folks."

"So, when does she come to meet my folks?" He said, using her words.

"You don't need to talk to your parents first?"

"They already want you as a daughter, you remember the first meeting?"

"Don't even start." Felicity looked away blushing furiously while Oliver burst out laughing at the memory.

She couldn't stay for dinner the first time she came and a long time after that but Aunt Lena covered for her when she was 10 and let her go, with one condition, they would drive her back and it wouldn't be a school night.

So friday night Felicity was over for dinner at Queen Mansion in her prettiest dress, Tommy was there too and they had a nice dinner with Felicity babbling, almost choking on her soda and Robert questioning her about school. He was the one planting the idea of scholar ship into her head and he kept talking about it as she kept coming to the mansion. It wasn't such a surprise he was the one taking care of the files of her scholar ship.

When people asked why he was so bent on getting Felicity in Starling and making sure she got a scholarship, Robert would answer, "She'll be the head of something in Queen Consolidated, I'm sure of it." and he would shoot a proud smile to Felicity.

Oliver calmed down enough to ask, leaning to back and supporting himself with his palms the way she did while she was sitting on his lap and resting her back on his bent knees.

"What about the douche?" He asked about her boyfriend, he called him anything but "your boyfriend" or "Daniel".

"He's not a douche and you know it." Felicity answered quickly, she was used to it by now but still corrected him.

"I don't care what he is, so?"

"I'll break up with him." Felicity said calmly watching his face.

"Not gonna try the "I'll see you every weekend" thing?"

"Like you would let me alone with him more than 5 minutes. You remember that you literally told him it was Oliver time and he needed to go away for the day?"

"It was the Oliver time, Felicity. I could only come for two days a week and excuse me, I didn't sleep on a diner booth every weekend for more than 7 years of my life to share my Felicity with that douche."

"Your Felicity?" She asked amused, but Oliver was past the point of feeling ashamed. He grabbed her ankles and gave them a squeeze.

"My Felicity." He said looking at her intensely. She burst out laughing and he chuckled too.

"When are we leaving?" She asked, she was dreading the break up, that was for sure.

"Now?" Oliver suggested.

"Now?" She questioned.

"Yeah, we'll pack up lightly, go to Central City, you break up with the douche, we get Aunt Lena and head to the mansion. We'll settle your accommodation over dinner, spend the night at the mansion and come back here in the morning."

"You're eager to see me single and living in your house aren't you?"

"You have no idea." He said chuckling.

She stood up and extended a hand, helping him up, "Well, let's get you what you want then."

"Yes!" Oliver said, wrapping an arm around her neck and pulling her to his side. Her hand went to his waist instinctively and they walked to Queen's summer house.

o0o

"Daniel, we need to talk." Daniel's back was to the door so Oliver saw no problem in going into the cafe and sitting right behind Daniel to listen to the conversation. Felicity shot him a glare briefly when he entered but he ignored it and made himself comfortable, ordering a milkshake.

"About?" Daniel asked with a timid voice.

"I won a scholarship in Starling."

"And you couldn't get one in Central City?"

Felicity sighed, "I didn't apply."

"You're gonna break up with me aren't you?"

"I'm sorry."

"Just one question, if I was Queen, would you break up with me?"

"Daniel, that has no-"

"No. You have been best friends for 8 years and you barely saw him. I don't understand Felicity."

"He came every weekend, literally for 8 years." She was the one going when he was sick but there were times over the years when he knocked on the door said 'I'm sick, take care of me.'.

"I would too, Felicity. If you let me."

"I'm sorry Daniel."

"No, I want to kno-"

Oliver stood up from his place and went over to their booth in no time, standing and shooting daggers to Daniel like he did it the first time they met. "Aren't you supposed to be leaving?"

Daniel raised his brows, "And you are the judge of that?"

"I have been listening. Felicity broke up with you and she explained it to you. She doesn't want a long-distance relationship with you, the deal is done. Your era is over, time to leave." Oliver spoke with an almost bored voice.

Daniel stood up from the booth and shoved him away. It all happened in a few seconds. Oliver smiled, finally having the chance to fight Daniel without being the one to initiate it, he threw a punch. Felicity jumped over and pushed Oliver away, putting a hand on his chest and turning to Daniel. Unfortunately Daniel wasn't looking when he threw a kick to the air from the booth he fell on.

His heel hit Felicity on the stomach and she collapsed on Oliver's body. He caught her immediately but she reached for the booth across Daniel and held onto it, bent over and holding her stomach. Oliver saw the tears rolling down her face and he launched to Daniel who was just getting up from the seat he fell on. Oliver took a hold on Daniel's head and pushed it down, slamming it to the table and letting his unconscious body fall down to the floor.

Thankfully they weren't at Aunt Lena's cafe because they would be screwed. Oliver went over to Felicity and she turned to him with tears in her eyes, nose red. She put her arm around his neck knowing that he was going to carry her. Oliver picked her up and Felicity pushed to cafe door open with her feet.

They went over to the car and Oliver growled to Sammy, "Don't comment, please."

Sammy nodded, if it was only Oliver he would ask or try to let his mother know but Felicity wouldn't do something stupid. Oliver placed her on the seat and she scooted over, Oliver sat next to her and shut the door.

"Home," he said to Sammy and looked over to Felicity. Her hand was on her stomach, "Does it hurt much?"

"No, not really." Felicity was a hand talker and when she removed her hand from her stomach while talking Oliver thought he saw a shoe print. So he removed both of her hands and there it was, a very distinct shoe print on her dress. He growled under his breath but Felicity reached to his cheek, "I'll change when we get to the house."

"I could have killed him."

"You sound like you want to." She asked laughing to light the air.

"I do."

"It's just a stupid break up Oliver, come on, we're not even in high school yet, I can't imagine you in there."

"You don't need to, you just saw it." Felicity chuckled with him, shaking her head in amusement.

Felicity went upstairs to Oliver's room since her dresses were there and shut the door behind her. She picked out a new dress for herself and changed her black flats into a white laced one. Oliver came in when she was finishing her braid and twisting it up to a bun.

"You did that in under five minutes?" Oliver eyed her up and down.

"Yeah, why?"

"You're a magician."

Felicity giggled, "You're gonna see the real change in the monday mornings."

Oliver looked content for a moment, "Yeah, I will."

She changed her lipstick into a less daring, more innocent shade and put on a single owl ring.

"Are you ready for this?" She asked Oliver.

"Why wouldn't I be, dinner will go without a hitch."

"Explain that."

"You'll babble, I'll talk, Tommy will laugh, Thea will stare at your dress and everything will be fine. Relax."

Felicity groaned, "Let's just get on with it.

Oliver was right, that was exactly what happened, Aunt Lena came by her own car due to Felicity's situation, Felicity asked Raisa for a painkiller before dinner, Oliver growled. They ate, laughed and chatted about the life in Starling and Central City.

They were sitting in the living room, Moira and Robert side by side, Aunt Lena across them Felicity next to her, Oliver next to Felicity as always. Thea was curled up in a ball lying on Tommy and he was caressing her hair mindlessly and listening to the adults exchange information and plans of future, mostly about Felicity. After a long argument, Moira and Robert made Aunt Lena accept that they wouldn't be taking any money and Felicity's every need would be taken care of in this house, including clothing and phone bills.

A few minutes later everyone stood up and Aunt Lena shook hands with Robert and Moira, "I trust you with my kiddo." She said, brows high up, jaw set.

Oliver was holding Felicity's hand when he asked, "So, she's staying with us, right?"

"Yeah, she is." Aunt Lena answered with a soft smile playing on her lips.

Felicity and Oliver looked at each other in excitement and Oliver caught her under her arms, lifting her up and turning around. Felicity screeched and held on to his shoulders, her laugh a melody in Oliver's ears.

o0o

They spent the rest of the summer together, no one to interrupt their little bubble. At the end of August, Moira was calling them home but instead of packing they were lying against each other on the couch and watching TV shows.

"Are you ready for high school?" Oliver murmured to her hair.

"No," She groaned in response, "But I don't have a choice, I left my life in Central City so I have to build one in here."

"If I'm not the honorary member I'm gonna be pissed."

"You were the honorary member in Central City how can you not be in here?"

"Well, that's a relief. Come on, we have to pack."

"But there's a re-run of Friends. I think this is the last season, it's breaking my heart Oliver."

"Trust me, mine too. But we have a DVD player in the house."

"You're really rich.." She trailed off.

"Shut up, Felicity."

They packed in silence after that and went to home.

Felicity had her own room but most of the time she slept with Oliver, sometimes Thea between them. She attended the dinner with her prettiest clothes, her breakfast attire was a bit on the messy side but Oliver didn't take any comments except the compliments. He managed to shut his parents with one look when it came to her comfort.

Thea kept dragging her to shopping and Felicity helped Thea with her clothing, easily making her the most stylish girl in her school. Thea was on the bolder side while Felicity went for cute and pretty. That's how she liked to look even though she didn't always looked like that.

Oliver saw her messy side a sunday morning, when she came down for breakfast in her pajamas, her braid ruined since she wore it to bed the night before. Freshman year was hard on them, he felt like he was losing Felicity sometimes, Oliver was the popular kid in the school, girls fawned over him and Felicity wasn't jealous of him like he was of her, or even if she was she didn't show it to Oliver. She just left his side when a girl was hitting on her and sometimes he didn't follow her right away, that's how he met Laurel, she wasn't the on hitting though. Her best friends were trying to talk to him and Oliver was a bit nervous considering that 3 girls were laughing and leaning into him while Laurel was just waiting in the background and tapping her foot.

Oliver was worried that someday Tommy would hit on Felicity but they were natural friends, they didn't need a big introduction or a friendship explosion where one of them saved the other ones life. They bonded over teasing Oliver and loving Thea. Both of them being brainy, Felicity more than Tommy actually, and nerdy, they got along famously. Tommy was still a player as much as Oliver was but his love and adoration for Thea didn't falter over the years, no matter what happened.

In the second semester, Laurel and Oliver hit it off, becoming the golden couple of the school. No matter what Felicity and Oliver still slept together that year and the next one. But one night, they didn't.

o0o

**2007**

It was the junior year, second semester, Laurel and Oliver had broken up for 8 times and always came back together. Thea now was a freshman in their school and she sat with Tommy and Felicity in lunch despite her friends. Lunch was important.

Tommy had his rules, he would never bring the flavor of the week to their lunch table, not around Felicity and absolutely not around Thea. It was restricted area, they would tease him about it and he would joke back but he never, under no circumstances brought a girl to their sacred lunch table, to their little group. Not that Felicity or Thea would say anything against it, but Merlyn had his priorities sorted out. Thea first, Felicity second and no woman more important than them.

Lunch table had rules beyond that. No phones, no texting to other people and no talking on it. When you sat on that table, you belonged to that group, you talked to them, you joked with them. Oliver on the other hand, always broke those rules. Laurel was always around the table, if she wasn't she was totally texting with Oliver so she still was on that table in one way.

That's when Felicity had her first real problem with Oliver. 10 years into friendship and they never fought about anything that hard. Felicity was talking, directly to him about the math class he missed, his phone buzzed and he picked it up. Felicity stopped abruptly but Oliver didn't notice it, he smiled to the message and texted back. Felicity raised her brow and took her bag, leaving her lunch on the table, she left.

When Oliver managed to raise his head, Felicity was long gone and Thea and Tommy were looking murderous. Tommy's jaw was ticking and Thea was blinking furiously, breathing harshly from her nose.

Those kinds of things were important to Felicity, she talked much yeah but she never talked if people didn't listen. She was completely quiet around Laurel because she knew, the best thing Laurel could offer was faking it.

Oliver was confused to see Felicity's seat empty and he turned to Tommy, "What happened?"

"No phones at the table Oliver. I told you a million times, no fucking phones at the table."

"That's a ridiculous rule, Tommy-" His phone buzzed again and he opened the message.

Thea on the other hand was a drama queen, she had a temper and she wasn't afraid of her brother. She felt even more untouchable since Tommy was around so she went with her instincts, grabbing the phone from Oliver's hand and letting it fall next to her boots. Oliver watched the phone as it fell down and Thea's thick heels smashed it. She grabbed her books and stood up sharply, pendant Tommy had gifted dangling in the air with her speed. Tommy got up too and they left Oliver in the table. It wasn't empty for long though, Laurel came and Oliver kept chatting like nothing happened.

Felicity ignored him for three straight days but at the end he apologized, got her a new lipstick and lifted her up in the air and turned around, making her giggle. Tommy and Thea softened at the image and they were back to normal.

But after a month of their usual bliss, everything went shitty. Felicity wore her shorts and a loose tank top, hair piled on top of her head. She'd had a bad day at school and she needed the cuddle they shared more than anything. Out of habit, Felicity didn't knock and opened the door like she always did over the years.

She gasped when she saw Laurel, sitting on top of Oliver. She was in her bra and Oliver was half naked, leaning back and pressing his palms to the bed for support, like he did with her. But Laurel wasn't doing what she always did, she was wearing her hair down and playing with the muscles in his chest. They turned to her abruptly, Oliver's mouth opened like he wanted to say something but Laurel wasn't paying much attention.

Felicity left the room and ran to Thea's room, she slept in Thea's bed for the first time that night. No matter how many girls nights they had, Oliver had always waited until it ended and even carried her to his bed when she was too tired to sleep.

In the morning Oliver came in behind her while she was preparing coffee, wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his head in her neck to smell her vanilla scent, "Felicity?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry about last night."

She shrugged away, "Why? Shouldn't I apologize for coming in without knocking?"

He placed the coffee pot she had on the counter and turned her to face him, hands gripping her waist tightly, "Never apologize for coming to me."

She shrugged away and turned around again. She kept her gaze down on the mugs she filled. Thea and Tommy would be there in a few minutes. Tommy would always come to get breakfast with them and he would be the only one dressed properly at the table. Thea had been the one to dress up before breakfast until the day she met Felicity. She had turned Thea in to herself in a few ways, leaving her with more than one weird habits and routines.

Thea came in to the kitchen, taking the orange juice from the fridge and sipping from the bottle. She heard the sound of the door and ran towards it, meeting Tommy half way. They hugged tightly, that's what they did since Thea was a little girl, they weren't so different from Oliver and Felicity but the difference was that Thea was the number one woman in Tommy's life, in Oliver's case it was unknown.

Tommy quickly hugged Felicity, "How's my smoking Smoak today?"

"Same ol' pun since day one." Felicity said as they sat on the table in the kitchen.

"Wait, did you just rhyme?" Thea said, pulling a face.

"You're worse than me, Smoak." Tommy said chuckling.

Over the years, they had fallen into an easy routine that was still on. They would eat, chat, plan the day ahead, make fun of teachers, whine about the classes. Tommy would promise to help Thea ditch the classes but he would be the one to persuade her into going in again. He would always pay it though, with a gift or a cup of coffee, sometimes as simple as kissing her cheek and staying in for movies.

Felicity avoided everyone that day, she didn't run away from them she just kept herself busy with a homework. Seeing that it worked she kept it up for another week, until the problem faded away and they were distracted with other things and Felicity was the only one remembering it.

She never slept side by side with him again.

o0o

"Decade dance!" Thea yelled in excitement.

"No." Felicity answered, already moving to get off the bed. Thea caught her and pulled her back in.

"Felicity, let's go, I'm begging you. We're gonna have so much fun. Please please please pl-"

"What are the chances of you letting this go?"

"Slim to none." Thea said smiling.

"Ugh, fine." Felicity gave in. Thea was tugging her hands and dragging her from the bed already.

"We're going shopping."

"But we have t-"

"No, we're going shopping now."

"Don't boss me around, Queen." Felicity said even though Thea practically shoved her to the driver's seat and threw her coat at her.

Finding the dress wasn't that hard, but shoes were impossible. They couldn't find not one pair of shoes that looked like it was from the 1920s and matched their dress. So they settled for the next best thing, Felicity was frustrated and picking at her lipstick while Thea was completely calm.

"How are you calmer than me in this situation?"

Thea just shrugged and got inside the car. She watched Felicity intensely, lips pressed together and a frown between brows.

She gasped, "You're totally ditching me!"

"What? No." Felicity pulled a face but Thea wasn't buying it, she was the inventor of fake expressions.

"Yeah, you are ditching me. Why?"

"I don't have a date."

"Pfft, please. You have tons of people asking you to dance you just don't want any of them because they're not Ollie."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't even deny it, Felicity. You were fawning over each other since you were 7, you walked in on Laurel and Ollie, you invaded my bed that night, you have been ignoring Ollie after that and I even saw him walking out of your door more than once. How many times did you tell him to fuck off?"

"You're wrong Thea, he never came to my bedroom. Laurel has been staying almost every night."

"Oh, he did. He even got caught to me and glared at me. Was she in the house last tuesday?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my god, Ollie came to see you in the middle of the night while Laurel was in the bed. Aww, that's so cute!" Thea screeched.

Felicity looked at her like she was out of her mind.

In the end, Felicity accepted one of the invites and went to the dance. Adrien Roger was his name, he was charming, had green eyes, warm skin, white teeth, nice smell and he was a straight A student. He also picked her up from the mansion and was a total gentleman, even against her babbles.

Adrien took out a flask and handed it to Felicity, "Ladies first."

"Yeah, no. You first."

It became clear to him a moment later, he nodded in awe opening the flask, "Here's to smart ladies." He drank a bit and Felicity pulled it away from his lips, drinking it until it was almost empty. She shot him an apologetic look but he just chuckled, telling her to have the rest if she wanted and she did.

When they got inside, Felicity looked around and spotted Thea and Tommy. They were dancing but more often than not they were bursting out laughing. Mostly because Tommy said something hilarious. Adrien pulled her for a dance too, and she danced, letting it go. Alcohol helped, not that she was tipsy let alone being drunk but it felt good knowing that it was inside her.

As the hours passed, people seemed to get closer, more intimate. Tommy had asked her out for a dance and she understood why Thea was laughing non-stop, he was great at it. No matter which move he did, Felicity felt herself giggling, not like Oliver lifting her up in the air but it was still something.

After that they played a slow song and Tommy let Felicity go immediately, "Thea owns me for the tonight. Kinda forced her to get in to biology class yesterday."

Felicity chuckled and went back to Adrien, he was surprisingly a nice person and kept his hands at the right places. But as the song kept on, she felt a familiar arm wrap around her waist and pull her away from her date, her back hit his torso and he leaned into kiss her cheek. Oliver turned her abruptly.

"Have you been drinking?"

"Yeah."

"Felicity," He protested but she turned in his arms to answer, his arm didn't budge, still around her waist, "I made him drink it first, Oliver. Also, I'm not even tipsy, it wasn't much, nothing compared to last summer."

"Fine."

Laurel came and Felicity tried to move from Oliver's arms but he didn't let her go, he pulled her to his side so her back wouldn't be to Laurel.

"Hi, Felicity." Laurel greeted her.

"Hi," Felicity answered, trying to put on a smile but failing.

Laurel eyed her up and down, "Your shoes.." She trailed off.

Oliver cut in, "I selected them. I guess now you have proof that you should never drag me to shopping sprees, my taste is awful."

Felicity looked at him, he saw it in her eyes clearly, she wasn't as appreciative as he thought she would be, "I like them."

Thea was there in the next moment, Felicity guessed that she probably dragged Tommy after her as soon as she saw Laurel close to Felicity. The second Thea arrived, everyone pulled back. She was the princess no one dared to hurt or upset because the dragon inside her wasn't buried that deep, also Tommy. He was the king of pranksters and Thea was the queen of his heart and they had enough examples of people going down thanks to this duo.

Felicity pressed her dark painted lips together and Oliver watched them almost mesmerized, he hadn't gotten to hold her in his arms lately and he needed it. It was some sort of a therapy, a way of relaxing, he liked to think Felicity was his personal Prozac.

o0o

3 months after the decade dance, Oliver came in with take out, placed it on the coffee table and collapsed to the couch.

"Shouldn't you be on top of Laurel right now?" She asked unphased.

"We broke up."

"Huh." She kept changing channels.

"That's what you have to say, really?"

"What kind of reaction were you expecting? You'll probably go out with Tommy tonight, have some fun, and in the morning you're back together."

"Yeah, this time it's not gonna happen."

"I think we settled that since it always did, you weren't going to use those words."

"But this time I broke up." That caught her attention. She fully turned to him.

"My god.. You're not kidding. How did that happen?"

"Is that so hard to believe that I came to my senses and broke up with her?"

"Yes, we couldn't change your mind no matter what over the years, it's kinda hard to think you'd permanently let go of the honorary member of your life."

He stared at her for a long moment, "You are the honorary member of my life, Felicity."

"Huh," She hummed and turned her attention to TV.

He reached for her, pulling her to his lap and bending his arm around her, burying his head at the crook of her neck, "Don't do that Felicity."

He inhaled heavily, "You have been pushing me away for months and if Laurel was the reason, she's not here anymore."

"Why did you assume Laurel was the problem?" She pulled his head back to look at him, straddling him as her hands were around his neck.

"I didn't. Laurel and I got into a fight. She wasn't happy with you being around and being like this," He pointed down to their bodies, "I thought if Laurel didn't like you, you must hate her, considering my reaction to Douche."

"He's not a do-" Felicity started automatically but stopped mid-sentence, "He picked a fight with you and kicked me in the process, yeah he's a douche, carry on." Oliver chuckled in response.

"Why didn't you say something? You just stopped coming to me and I.. I don't remember feeling that scared in my life."

"Are you sure because you were content when you were with Laurel for years."

"I know, I'm sorry. But to remind you I didn't last 4 months without snuggling to you."

"4 months.." Felicity said slowly, "Trust me, it's easy when there's someone next to you."

"Why didn't say something, Felicity?"

"Because we're not 14 anymore, Oliver. You were always so sure of yourself and you didn't approve of any guy around me but I didn't have the luxury, because I'm not that kind of a person. I want what's best for you, Oliver and that is not me."

She climbed off of his lap and left.

o0o

"Do you wanna walk at the beach?" He asked, they had changed locations for the summer break, not permanently though. They were going back in 2 days.

"Throw in some ice cream and I might."

He grabbed money from his wallet, "Sold." She answered immediately.

She got up from her seat on the couch and followed him out the door. He refused to take his phone with him, he refused touching to a phone when she was around and she had no problem with that.

They were walking on the beach when he took of her glasses and buried in the sand, suddenly he dragged her towards the water and before she knew it, he had her picked up bridal style and carrying into water.

She hit him on the chest and wiggled in his arms, "My shoes! My shoes! Oliver I will murder you if so-" He dipped her feet to the water and she gasped.

She sneaked away from his grip, hitting the water completely.

Her head popped up and she stood on her feet again, splashing water to him and turning her head away and squeezing her eyes shot because she knew he would splash back. She giggled when the water hit her neck and cheek, she turned to look at him again and he caught her. Dipping his hands under water and finding her bottom to pick her up again, he pulled her to himself, lifting her up until her core pressed to his stomach.

She held onto his neck and he turned around, Felicity let her head fall back and she giggled, he turned around again and she held on to his shoulders, her laugh a melody in Oliver's ears.

They hit the water in laughter as Oliver lost his balance.

o0o

**2008**

It was cold, it was still the beginning of the march and rain kept pouring, Oliver and Felicity locked up in his room with coffee and math books in hand. The air was tense, it was a post-fight moment but the fight hadn't exactly reached its end, the only thing keeping them from storming away with slamming the doors was that they needed to study, and they needed each other for that.

"You haven't moved your pen for the last six minutes, Oliver." She said, not looking up from her book.

"I saw you catch a tear, Felicity." He answered, facing his book.

She shut her book and put it away, reaching to his and throwing that away too.

"What are we gonna do?"

"It's obvious, Felicity. You're the one who says no without giving any explanation. I think I deserve it after 12 years but I still won't press you and you know that so, it's your choice."

"Don't talk about it like it's an easy thing Oliver."

"I'm not saying it's easy but it's doable."

Felicity huffed and stormed out in her leggings and 'I'm only happy when it rains' hoodie. Considering how she felt, it was ironic. She walked right out to the patio, trying to get some air to think without getting wet.

Thought rattled her head, Wharton, MIT, distance, oh god. She wouldn't be able to bear seeing him only on the weekends again but there was no compromising in here. They had their own goals, their own achievements and own interests.

The front door slammed and Felicity turned with a jump, "Oliver, I'm sorry."

"No, I'm not the Douche, Felicity. We've been through this before, for 8 years. We will do it again, we can do it again."

"What if I won't be enough Oliver, what if we got so wrapped up in our world that you learn to live without me?"

"Why do you think that you'll never get over me and I will get over you? Do you actually believe that I can live without you in my life? After everything?" He yelled.

"I don't know!" She screamed back.

"You have to!" He roared, "How can you have doubts after 12 years, Felicity?" He said lowering his voice.

He shook his head and shoved his hands to his sweatpants' pockets, walking to the rain. Her heart ached in its place and she knew then, no matter what happened, he would always be there with his warmness, even in the pouring rain.

She ran after him, gripping his arm and turning him to face her. He looked at her wet face, drops of rain kept hitting it but her pink lipstick was sturdy in its place. She jumped to his neck and buried her face in his wet skin. Oliver lifted her up and she felt her legs wrap around his waist instinctively.

She whispered to his ear, "You're the honorary member of my life, always, Oliver."

He pulled back to smile at her and he gripped the back of her head, thinking for a moment before forfeiting control and slamming his lips to hers. He regretted every second of his life he didn't spend kissing her right in that second. Felicity held onto his body tighter as his tongue parted her lips and he tasted her. He decided that he would be kissing Felicity for the rest of his life and would do anything to convince her because he was already addicted.

He felt a weight settling in his stomach when she pulled back, "God, kissing in the rain is not as pleasurable as they describe in the books. Although it might be kissing itself. Never tried that one before."

Oliver narrowed his eyes, "Douche told me you already had kissed."

"What?" She screeched, "I didn't kiss anyone, thanks to your efforts."

"Don't kill me but I'm about to overdose on happiness right now."

"Asshole." She muttered under her breath and her turned around again, making her giggle. She was blushing harder than the other times and her voice had a higher pitch than she had in the others. She bent down and kissed him again, before letting her head fall back as the drops hit her face, her laugh a melody in Oliver's ears.

* * *

If I've written OOC, I blame the music, I also regret nothing.


	2. Sequel

Guy!

I wrote a sequel because you requested.

The name is The Lesson.


End file.
